Late One Night
by AllySmith11
Summary: ANXIETY TRIGGER WARNING Another little small thing I wrote while in the middle of homestuck: Late one night, John wakes up.


It was a nightmare that awoke him from his sleep. John sat up in a cold sweat, his shirt and boxers soaked. He let out a few hard breaths and grabbed his glasses from the nightstand. The digital clock by his bed read 3:26 am. It had been nearly a year since the Sburb incident and he was still having dreams about it.

That final battle against the evil mastermind had been one that wasn't easy to forget. There had even so much blood. So much heroic death… If the beta Jack Noir hadn't shown up to help, there might have been even more casualties.

No. He couldn't think about it anymore, it was just going to freak him out further. He might end up with another panic attack.

He could still feel the hammer in his hands… He looked down at his trembling body and frowned at the burns and scars. They scared him. It was like his body belonged to someone else. He didn't remember getting half of the markings that covered his body. His breathing quickened as he attempted to remain calm.  
He knew he was overreacting but it felt like he could only get so much air. Like there was a wall around him, keeping the oxygen away. He clutched his stomach as a wave of nausea hit him. He was going to puke. He could feel it in his throat.

John swallowed thickly in an attempt to keep it down. He just needed to calm down. Just calm.

No… He needed help.

He looked to his partner lying still in the bed. He had been with him through thick and thin; despite Karkat's shipping charts, they ended up marrying each other. So much for repopulating.

He reached over and touched his cheek, his entire body shaking uncontrollably. John but a hand on his chest to keep his breathing slow as he attempted to wake him up.

"H-hey…" He said softly, shaking his shoulder. The taller man simply turned slightly in his sleep.

"Come on…" He mumbled, shaking a bit harder with all he could muster. John wasn't sure what he would do if he didn't wake up. "P-pleease…" He urged, trying to hold back another woozy wave. He was getting dizzy from lack of air. Soon he would faint, he could feel it.

Dave turned back over and looked at him, still half-asleep. He then glanced at the clock then shut his eyes tiredly.

"What is it John?" He asked with a yawn. John's lips parted. He couldn't speak, not without throwing up.

Scenes were replaying in his head. Multicolored blood was everywhere. Fire. Bodies. His friends...

People had been pushing themselves to the limit to try and make even a mark on the final boss. He squeezed Dave's shoulder the hardest he could, his eyes shut as he focused on breathing. When he opened them again, his eyes settled on the hunk of metal that was now his lower leg. The searing pain came back, like it had just been chopped off again. He opened his mouth to scream and lost the rhythm of his breathing. He was left in a state of trying to catch that breath.

That was what really woke Dave up. He sat up and places his hands on his shoulders.

"John? John, breathe. There's nothing here, only me and you."

His red eyes flicked over him as he tried to calm him down. "Shhh shhh…" He gently grabbed John's chin and moved his eyes from his husband's leg to his face.

He pulled him towards him, trying to comfort him.  
"John. You're okay now. You're with a Strider remember? Knight of Time or whatever. Nothing can hurt you." He laid a soft kiss on his forehead once John started to calm down a bit. Dave embraced him as John started to scoot towards him.

"Can I get you some water? Some of that pink stuff?" He noticed John holding his stomach. Dave frowned when he shook his head. He wanted to help him but… What else could he do for him?

By 4:37, John was back to normal. Dave was stroking his hair as the shorter man simply laid beside him.

John took his hand and brought it to his lips, mumbling a soft 'thank you' before kissing his finger tips. Dave stroked his cheek and flashed him a small smile.  
"I'll never leave you John."


End file.
